Memorial day weekend was spent with my sisters. As Mary and I drove to visit Mom and Dad's graves, we saw the most beautiful tree! It was in the middle of nowhere.
We got to Sherry's and had a cocktail. Mary couldn't wait and jumped right in.
We attended the short Memorial tradition at the Church across the street from Sherry's house.
The next weekend Mary and I met Sherry and our cousin's Pat and Sandy for our quarterly cousin's lunch in Dyersville. I had one thing on my bucket list and I was able to check it off on this trip. I have always wanted to lie down right under a windmill. We found one that we could drive up to. I was so excited! The ground was gravel and muddy so I stood right under it. They do make noise, and when I would watch one blade at a time, I became very dizzy.
After that weekend trip, my car blew up. Actually it was the radiator and I had to get a new one. Mike was leaving town for a month and the blow up happened two days before he left. I was able to get the car to the service station and after they put the radiator in, they discovered the radiator fan wasn't working. That is why I had a crack. So they kept the car another day to put the fan assembly kit in. Luckily, they let me have a loaner car. The service station called when my car was ready but also had to tell me they backed into another car and I now had a dent. No problem though. They would fix it free and made an appointment for me at the body shop. When I looked at the car, I didn't think it was a big deal, just a few small dents and scratches above the back tire, and a knick in the bumper. I have been spray painting my bumper for a couple of years now anyway, from a previous person hitting me.
It was hard to get a photo because you could barely see it.
I dropped my car off at the body shop. I guess I am a little naive because I thought it would only take a couple of days. Little did I know, it would take a week. The service station let me keep the loaner all that time. The weirdest thing about a loaner, besides the smell, is not knowing where the car is after coming out of a store. It would take a second for me to realize I was not looking for my normal car, then panic set in because I would forget what car I am looking for. I then remember it is a white Jee (a Jeep with the P missing), and then panic again when I have no idea what a white Jeep looks like in a sea of white vehicles. But now I have my car back with a beautiful shiny bumper that doesn't match the rest of my slightly faded car, or that could just be dirt.
So, back to fun times before my birthday...
Mary and I went to a wedding. I had forgotten that Mike would not be in town when I RSVP'd but Mary gladly went with me since she knows the family too.
A colleague brought in a cookie cake to work since there were two of us with birthdays in the same week. I thought of taking this photo after I cut the cookie and already had a piece. The cookie was gone by the end of the day. I had many, many pieces. Yum.
I had this great idea of having a sister slumber party since Mike was gone. I didn't want to be alone on my birthday!
Before Mary and Sherry arrived for the birthday weekend sister slumber party, I went to the farmer's market to have breakfast with my friend Kelly, pick up some vegetables, and to take a look at the flooded Mississippi. Not too bad this year.
When my sister's arrived, we talked all afternoon and then headed downstairs for a game of pool. I won. We then played a game of Scrabble. Mary won (she was the score keeper). We then decided to play one more game before we went to bed, Bride's game. Sherry made it down the aisle before anyone else. So we each won a game!
In the morning I decided to get out some of Mom's china for pancake day. Can you tell which pancake is the birthday girl's cake? Hint-I don't eat butter.
While getting out the china, Sherry had a little accident which turned out to be beautiful art.
We spent the rest of the morning and afternoon with more conversation and they helped with a few projects around the house. Before they left, they helped me hang some artwork.
I had a great time with my sisters! It was sad to have them go. I had one more week without Mike, which included July 4th, and it was lonely around here. I did get a lot done around the house when he was away, especially on the 4th. That will be my next blog.
Oh, where did Mike go? He drove to Palm Bay, Florida to hang out with Molly for a week, then to Pensacola for a week with a friend, to Athens, Georgia to see Maggie, to York, S.C to my sister Jo's house, and then back to Athens before heading home. A whole month. I had to work.
This is what I missed, Tripp's baptism.
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